Thursday 28 August 2008

My Date with Lady Luck

Almost 99.8% of the population residing in the Middle East especially UAE are great believers in LUCK. The remaining 0.2%, I assume, are either too rich to care or too poor to dare….

Out of the 12 months in a year, every Mall retailer devotes atleast
10 months to Festivals, Sales & Promotions. For every 200dhs the customers spend, they get a Raffle ticket for 10 Cars, 100 Diamond Jewellery Sets, 1000 Mobile Phones & 10,000 Home Appliances. Ok maybe I’m exaggerating a bit but the jist of the above sentence is clear.

One of the biggest crowd puller is the Dubai Shopping Festival(DSF). It’s a 1 month extravaganza in Dec-Jan with super sales promotions. It’s a win-win situation everywhere….u spend money, you win. Depending on your luck, you can win a Lexus Car or it can be a spatula.

The reason I mention a vague item like spatula is because I won this very same spatula on the very first year of my stay here. My father-in-law was almost delirious with excitement & when he saw me silently questioning his mental stability, he was like “I’ve been in Dubai 23 yrs & haven’t won a pin till today”. And believe me, he has never lost hope…he is convinced that the BIG Prize is just waiting for him around the corner.

Every one of us secretly believes the same. Oh yes we poke fun at ourselves but all the same, very dutifully fill up the coupons, slip it thru the slit on the rotating glassbox & spin it atleast once to scatter our coupons into different corners as to give them all an equal chance.

One can’t help but believe the hype coz almost every other day Companies publish the photos & details of people who have won prizes from their promotions. And I know friends & acquaintances who have won refrigerators, cameras & home appliances in these promotions. And when last counted UAE had 59,000 millionaires in 2005 & 1/8th of the prizewinners fall into this bracket by default.

My better-half loves to buy tickets from the Duty-Free. These raffle tickets are valued at dhs.500 & the prize is 1 Million Dollars(the prizes sometimes vary). He is convinced that he’ll win it ‘atleast’ once. Huh!!! I call it a colossal waste of money & tell him to donate it to the poor. Atleast a few blessings will come our way. He just grins & says “Ok we’ll give the poor & buy the ticket”.

I never believed in these promotions where you just pay money & get a ticket, I’d rather make necessary monthly purchases & get a raffle ticket. Or invest it in the Bank & draw some interest on it. Ofcourse anybody living here can confirm that the interest rates at the banks here are a joke. And I guess 9 years in Dubai has rubbed some of the stardust into my eyes too.

Every month, on the day I get my salary I pick up a Postcard Millionaire Pack. For dhs.30 we get 4 postcards of Dubai with free postage which we can be mailed anywhere in the world. If you are lucky you get to win 100,000dhs & if are not then you win other small stuff.
I have been buying these packs for almost a year now and I have won 3 Hamburgers from Burger King & a grand total of 900 cash points(dhs 9.00 which can be redeemed at certain shops).
My relatives & friends are quite tired of receiving the same “gheesi-peeti” Dubaaaaiiii postcards which by now they are quite sure I must be getting free from somewhere.

But I haven’t lost hope…I’m very convinced that sooner or later Lady Luck will come my way.


p.s – So do you believe in Luck? Have you won anything to reinforce your belief in the Lady??

p.p.s – Anybody want to send me their address???? I can post some marvelous postcards from here.

p.p.p.s – FYI: Dhs 1.00 = Rs.10.50 on good days.

Monday 25 August 2008

The Evergreen Saree

It is very discouraging to note that most Indian women nowadays prefer to wear Salwar-Kameez or Western styled outfits. Nobody really takes the trouble to wear the Saree on a daily basis except for the oldtimers who are used to wearing it from their heydays.

Ofcourse there are a lot of women who love to ‘dress up’ for a party in elegant/elaborate/ornate Sarees but if you watch them carefully there are not exactly comfortable. It is like they are wearing a costume for a play which they are glad to get rid of by the end of the show.

And you know what, one of UAE’s emirates has actually banned woman from wearing a Saree calling it inappropriate attire simply because the navel is revealed. Any woman caught wearing the attire anywhere in Sharjah is severely fined.

The Saree & blouse combination actually covers a woman from neck to toe & in the rural areas even the head is covered by the pallu but if worn with the intention of revealing one’s, ahem assets then quite a bit of the body can be exposed. The blouse can be a halter top-like thingie leaving most of the back bare & the sari can be worn 4 inches from under the navel.

The flight attendants of Air India have internationalized the saree, carrying it off very elegantly & even the Customer Service Supports at some 5 star hotels wear them very well.

My friend Chaitra is the Sales manager for Dell in B’lore. She is short, pretty looking & doesn’t look a day older than 25. And she has around 15-18 sales guys working under her. It was a deliberate decision to start wearing the Saree everyday to office. And she swears, the attire along with some attitude works like a dream. And I agree with her, something in the attire definitely commands respect.

A word to the women who think Sarees are not ‘cool’……..
I don’t know if you are aware but men take a lot of interest when their partners decide to wear a sari. They trip over themselves to iron it for you, help you pin up the pallu & get down on their knees to adjust the pleats(the one & only time you get them at your feet).
Whenever my better-half is on his knee’s adjusting my sari pleats, I look down at his bent head & grin stupidly. Dont tell him but I get major CT’s out of this:-D. And if by chance, the mother-in-law is watching hawk-eyed, her precious son at the wife’s feet……..ooooooh goosebumps on my skin….the ultimate high.

The 3 women who I think wear the Saree very well:
Rekha
Shobha De
Sonia Gandhi

Who are your favourites?
And do u think I have forgotten to include anybody?

Thursday 21 August 2008

Fart a Joke!!!!

This piece was written by a newly married lady...........

One day I met a sweet gentleman and fell in love. When it became apparent that we would marry, I made the supreme sacrifice and gave up eating beans.
Some months later, on my birthday, my car broke down on the way home from work. Since I lived in the countryside I called my husband and told him that I would be late because I had to walk home.

On my way, I passed by a small diner and the odour of baked beans was more than I could stand. With miles to walk, I figured that I would walk off any ill effects by the time I reached home, so I stopped at the dinner and before I knew it, I had consumed three large orders of baked beans.
All the way home, I made sure that I released all the gas.

Upon my arrival, my husband seemed excited to see me and exclaimed delightedly: 'Darling I have a surprise for dinner tonight.' He then blindfolded me and led me to my chair at the dinner table. I took a seat and just as he was about to remove my blindfold, the telephone rang.
He made me promise not to touch the blindfold until he returned and went to answer the call.

The baked beans I had consumed were still affecting me and the pressure was becoming most unbearable, so while my husband was out of the room I seized the opportunity, shifted my weight to one leg and let one go. It was not only loud, but it smelled like a fertilizer truck running over a skunk in front of a pulpwood mill. I took my napkin from my lap and fanned the air around me vigorously. Then, shifting to the other cheek, I ripped off three more. The stink was worse than stinking cabbage. Keeping my ears carefully tuned to the conversation in the other room, I went on like this for another few minutes. The pleasure was indescribable.
When eventually the telephone farewells signaled the end of my freedom, I quickly fanned the air a few more times with my napkin, placed it on my lap and folded my hands back on it feeling very relieved and pleased with myself.

My face must have been the picture of innocence when my husband returned, apologizing for taking so long. He asked me if I had peeked through the blindfold, and I assured him I had not.

At this point, he removed the blindfold, and twelve dinner guests seated around the table chorused:
'Happy Birthday!'!!

I nearly died!!!

** Received this joke in my mail & I found it soooo funnnny. I never ever guessed how it would end. And everytime I thought of the joke I couldn't help smiling. And I was also curious....
As to what u guys think of the joke..........funny....gross......dumb.....or.....????

Saturday 16 August 2008

In Safe Hands

Nikita(7yrs old): Mama, who do you love the most…..Naina or me?

Mama(under her breath): Oh-oh…

Naina(4 yrs old) lifts her head from the book she is coloring & watches me hawk-eyed.

Mama: I love both of u.

Nikita: Yes, we know you love us, but who do you lovvvvve the most?

Mama(in a sinister voice): Can you handle the truth?

Nikita: Wh-what?

Mama(dumps the accent): Do you really want to know?

Nikita & Naina(clambering on to my lap): Yes, yes.

Mama: You won’t like the answer.

Naina(she's got a light lisp) : That’s OK, just tell us……the throooth.

Mama: Papa!

Nikita: What about Papa?

Mama: Yes, Papa, I love him the most.

Kids: ohhhhhhhhhhhhh, then what about us?

Mama: I love you both very much but you asked me who I love the most, right? I love Papa the most.

Naina(going for jugular, as usual): But why papa first, why not us?

Mama thought for a moment: Because I loved your Papa first. He is my best friend & he'll be with me always.

Nikita(hugging me tightly) insisted: Even we'll be with you always.

Mama(cradling both of them in her arms): You will study hard, become beeeeeg, get good jobs, get married & sometimes go faaaaaar away from me. But your papa will always be with me and we will grow old together.

Naina: But you are already so old.

Mama(mock pushing her away): You love to remind me, don’t you?

The whole conversation lasted maybe 2 minutes and was conducted with a lot of animation & acoustics but the truth was just that.

I love my kids to bits & can give my life up for them. But my husband matters more. Like I told them……. I’m always aware that they are there with us for a while, we do our best for them & then send them out to lead their own lives. After that we remain on the peripherals while they take centre stage. The nest will be minus the brood but the partner is there…all along....like always.

Sometimes I wonder if there’s something wrong in my way of thinking, then I’d think of my Mother & an indulgent smile spreads across my face.
She was the same….there was never any doubt in my sister’s or my mind who mattered to her the most. We love her all the more for it.

And my kids......I looked carefully to see if I hurt their feelings, damaged their budding self-esteem & all that jazz, but they didn't look any different to me.....I guess they were relieved that they didnt have to compete with eachother....Papa, they could deal with.

p.s - Why so sentimental, out of the blue? Maybe bcoz the anniversary is coming up:-D

Wednesday 13 August 2008

Birds Eye View

THE INVISIBLE ARMY THAT BUILT THE BIRD'S NEST
By Mark Mullen, NBC News Beijing Correspondent

Beijing's architectural feats -- most notably the Bird’s Nest, which has become the structural symbol of the Olympics -- have received a great deal of attention and praise.

But what is not seen in the television pictures, is the almost invisible army of 7,000 migrant workers who built the iconic structure, not to mention all the other spectacular venues. Their contribution is remarkable, although they are often paid little and receive even less recognition.

In our extensive travels around China, we were very impressed by the men who work with such dignity, and sacrifice so much to provide for their families, who they almost never see. So, more than a year ago, we decided to profile one of the Bird’s Nest’s migrant workers in the hope that at least one of the vast array of workers would remain nameless no more.
Of course, gaining access to a migrant worker at the Bird’s Nest proved no easy task. We began submitting multiple requests through every local, national and international agency that had any part of the Olympics. Finally, after months and countless faxed interview requests, officials produced for us an executive with the principal construction company building the Bird's Nest. That, of course, was the Chinese bureaucratic way. With good intentions, officials figured that a project as important as the Bird’s Nest should have an executive of high caliber speaking about it. I had no luck in trying to explain that it could be a terrific tribute to show the working guys building it.

Ultimately, it didn't matter because we got lucky. During that interview, we happened to meet a great guy on the building site we would come to spend a fair amount of time with over the course of a year: a 34-year-old migrant worker named Zhang Tao'An.

Like many of China's 150 million migrant workers, Zhang comes from a rural Chinese village where farm machines have replaced many men and the jobs which do exist don't pay as much as those in the cities where China is experiencing its explosive building boom.

So, Zhang traveled to Beijing in hopes of making up to $90 a week – joining a transient population of two million migrant workers who staff some 10,000 construction sites, building floor space that if laid out, would be three times the size of Manhattan.

The migrants live at the work site in aluminum dormitories, sometimes 12 per room. They have no heat or air conditioning and it's helpful to know how to sleep with noise around. The construction sites alongside the dorms usually operate 24/7.

Many of the workers work at least six days a week and have little to no health benefits or legal protection if a bad boss cheats them. Zhang said he had some bad experiences, but that he would keep doing the work.
Despite the difficulties, Zhang’s motivation is identical to that of parents everywhere: If his work can somehow make it easier for his son and daughter to attend college and live a better life, then it's worth it, he said. He hopes that the new opportunities available to his children’s generation, which were not available to him or his parents, will also help. Though he admitted, he misses his family very much.

Annual Pilgrimage
With many migrant workers sending home most of their salary, they can afford to see their families only once a year: during Chinese New Year. Over the holiday, the construction sites of this massive country are silenced, and in a reverse migration, more than 100 million workers head home.

Last February, during this year’s holiday, Zhang invited us to go home with him. He was excited. With the little money he had scrimped and saved, he went into a local market to buy presents for his family and friends. It is sign of generosity and prosperity to have ample gifts for the folks back home. So, he loaded his sack for the trip.
The next morning, we met him at the bus station, which was filled with workers.
Zhang was wearing his best clothes, including a suit jacket that was ill-fitting and slightly stained. He wanted to look his best for his family.

We boarded the bus with him for the four-hour journey home, but we ran into one of China's worst winter storms on record. Snow and ice covered the highway with numerous accidents stopping traffic for hours. On board, Zhang swapped stories with other workers speaking of good jobs, bad bosses and the reunions with family they were anxiously anticipating.
Eight hours after starting, the bus finally arrived at the depot and we took a quick cab ride to his small village. Jumping out of the cab with a smile on his face, his best clothes and his sack of presents, he set off for the final steps home, eager after so many months to see his family. Our camera was in tow ready to see the warm embrace.

But shortly after arriving, he discovered that it was so late, his entire family had fallen asleep. There would be no reunion tonight. It was a major disappointment, but he just turned to us and smiled. He was just glad to be home.

And he made the most of it. The next morning he had the chance to give the kids their presents and most important – himself. His three children happily played soccer in the courtyard of their traditional Chinese house.

He had a good laugh at our camera crew and me. The temperature outside was about 20 degrees Fahrenheit and like many Chinese who live in the countryside, every door and window in their home was wide open for fresh air. They merrily went about their business with warm weather clothes and pink cheeks. We toughed it out for about three hours of filming before running into our van, cranking on the heat and emerging once again to see the family all smiling at us.

For Zhang the holiday represented a joyous three weeks out of the year when he could enjoy spending time with his family, and in many ways get to know his wife again.
All year, she raises the kids, tends farm fields and looks after his mother – alone. She, like tens of millions of migrant workers' wives, works as hard as her husband. The home villages of migrant workers are easy to spot: they are filled with women, children and seniors. The working age men are in the city; except for during the holiday.

Zhang had an intimate but happy Chinese New Year dinner of dumplings – knowing that soon, the work cycle would continue. We thanked Zhang and his family for graciously inviting us into their home to share the holiday and said goodbye.

Another Job
We did not see Zhang again until two weeks ago at a construction site several hours from Beijing where his current job is to install insulation. With Beijing shutting down construction for the Olympics, many migrants were forced out of town.

Zhang knew we might want to interview him a final time before the Olympics, so he wore a nice red polo shirt and khaki pants, looking more like the property owner than one of the workers. It was only moments after the interview that he showed us the reality of his new job.
He gave us a tour of his bedroom, which was located in the concrete shell of the apartment building where he was working. For a mattress, he slept on the same sheets of green insulation that he installs. But in trademark fashion, he showed us this not to complain, but to say "It's better than most other sites where I've worked. It's nice and cool in here."

So the next time you hear about the legendary, hard working Chinese labor force, remember it has a name. It's Zhang Tao'An.
Zhang’s biggest motivation remains bettering the prospects of his children, though he did confide one secret wish to us. He said one day he would like to attend an event in the Bird’s Nest though he quickly added that he wasn’t counting on it.

The sad reality is that many of China's migrant workers know they may never be able to afford or gain access to the very event venues, office buildings and condominiums they construct.

This article can be found here.

Saturday 9 August 2008

Price of Movie Tickets

I spoke with a woman called Tahira on the phone this morning during the course of my work. She reminded me of another Tahirae who studied with me in college.

Tahirae & I were in the same class for BA ie. 3 yrs of degree. She was pretty, outgoing with a loud voice which everybody recognized in college. When I say everybody……its like 98% of the college knew her either by Name, Sight, or Voice.

By the end of 1st term we both happened to be in the same gang of eight girls. Though we were in the same gang, she & I just interacted in a general way…..actually we had common friends & so landed in the same friends circle.

She was a bit too hyper-active for my temperament…….. a total extrovert, not afraid to draw attention towards herself but having said that much, I have to add that I was very fond of her……..as she was like the joker in our pack, a sort of mascot for our group.

One day, the 2 of us found ourselves in each other’s company as the rest of them were absent for various reasons. We attended 3 hrs of classes & then we had a 2 hrs break before the next class started. We sat together on a bench in the college grounds & for the first 15 minutes covered all the topics possible on College, Friends, Family, the status of World Affairs, etc. The conversation dried up & we realized that we had nothing much in common.

After a pause, she suggested that we go for a movie.

I was like “Good Idea, but I didn’t carry cash today, you pay today & I’ll pay you tomorrow”.
She looked at me surprised “You know I never have much money with me.”
That fact, I & more than half the college was aware of.

She got up decisively & said “Let’s borrow”
I was like “Do we really need to do this?”
Tahirae turned & gave me a surprised look “you mean, you’d rather we sit here & stare at each other’s face?”
The subject was closed.

I trailed behind her amused & unwillingly……….amused coz anybody who gave money to Tahirae once, never gave her again coz she never believed in the concept of repaying her debts.

But not many could directly refuse to give her what she wanted. She would especially target the Juniors.
She would stare directly into their eyes & say “Look, we want to go for a movie. Lend us some money & we’ll pay you tomorrow”.
Many of them said “Have no money, Tahirae”.
“Ok then just gimme 5 bucks” she would demand & put out her hand.

She led from the front while I tried to merge with the surroundings. Once in a while, she turned back to see if I was behind her & I would beam at her supportively.
Curiously, almost everybody she approached gave her whatever small change they could, apologized that they couldnt spare more & told her not to bother returning it.

At the end of 25 minutes we sat & counted our earnings……….a princely sum of 82 rupees….…more than double our movie cost.

We had lunch first – 2 jumbo burgers at Indiana’s for 28 rupees, watched the movie “Dil Ka Kya Kasoor” [starring…Divya Bharati who died & some vague guy] for 40 bucks[balcony tickets at Galaxy], bought popcorn & pepsi during the interval for 12 bucks & generously donated the remaining money to the 1st beggar who approached us.

We had a really good time & 3½ hrs went by, ever so quickly. Our rapport strengthened & multiplied by the end of the day.

One would quite naturally assume that both of us became better friends based on that day’s event but we very matter-of -factly went back to what we were.

Hadn’t thought of her in many years….surprising how just a Name conjures up a host of memories.

Monday 4 August 2008

Quirky TAG

The culprit is Winnie again……

The Rules are as follows..

1. Link the person who tagged you.

2. Mention the rules on your blog.

3. Tell 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.

4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them.

5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger's blogs, letting them know that they have been tagged.


The quirkier side to me is more obvious than the ‘normal’. So I didnt have to think too much before writing it down. Just to mention a few……
  1. I talk in my sleep………especially when I’m disturbed. I even sleepwalk occasionally though I have never gone out of the house. The most embarrassing incident was(12 yrs back) when my sister was sitting up in the night studying, I got up from sleep, walked into the next room where she was studying, called out “Look at me”, then sang some weird jhingalaka song & did a jig & went back to sleep. Even today, she makes fun of me whenever she remembers.

  2. I forget stuff….all the time. I’ve even blogged about it here.
  3. I hate to waste paper. I use both sides of it & only then give it away for recycling.
  4. I love to help people especially if they are lost(as in directions)……nope they don’t even have to ask me. I see them(whoever) looking confused, I stop & ask if they need help(my husband never ceases to be amazed(not a complimentary amazed) at this quirk of mine). Sometimes even the people looking for directions wonder at my interest coz suppose if I am not able to help them…....then I approach a 3rd person on their behalf & make sure they get the correct location map to their destination.
  5. I’m a typical case of straw that broke the camel’s back. BIG problems don’t seem to affect me…I’m patience personified all through. Then some silly thing upsets me & I break into a storm of tears.
  6. I have fought with every single ‘good’ friend of mine more than once & the strangest thing is ……they are all still friends with me.
I TAG.....

Bins, IHM, ISH, Renu, Wannabe and an unknown fellow blogger from Birmingham UK who keeps visiting my page but doesnt comment. Come on, intoduce yourself:-D and take up this TAG

Saturday 2 August 2008

How well-read are you ?? ......TAG

Winnie the Poohi has very kindly rescued me with this TAG

The Rules are as follows:

1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.

2) Italicize those you intend to read.

3) Underline the books you really love (and strikethrough the ones you hate!).

4) Reprint this list in your own blog.


1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen

2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien

3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte

4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling

5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee

6 The Bible

7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte

8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell

9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman

10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens

11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott

12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy

13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller

14 Complete Works of Shakespeare - Most of them….had to, coz I was a Literature student

15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier

16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien

17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulks

18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger

19 The Time Traveller's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

20 Middlemarch - George Eliot

21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell

22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald

23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens

24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy

25 The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams

26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh

27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky

28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck

29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll

30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame

31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy

32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens

33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis

34 Emma - Jane Austen

35 Persuasion - Jane Austen

36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis

37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini

38 Captain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres

39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne

41 Animal Farm - George Orwell

42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown

43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving

45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins

46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery

47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy

48 The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood

49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding

50 Atonement - Ian McEwan

51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel

52 Dune - Frank Herbert

53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons

54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen

55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth

56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens

58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon

60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck

62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt

64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas

66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac

67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy

68 Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding

69 Midnights Children – Salman Rushdie

70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville

71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens

72 Dracula - Bram Stoker

73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett

74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson

75 Ulysses - James Joyce

76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath

77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome

78 Germinal - Emile Zola

79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray

80 Possession - AS Byatt

81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell

83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker

84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro

85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert

86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry

87 Charlotte's Web - EB White

88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom

89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton

91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery

93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks

94 Watership Down - Richard Adams

95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole

96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute

97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas

98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare

99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl

100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

My score is: 40/100.....

Hmmm..I used to read a lot but not any more...
Why???? No spare time for reading.......maybe if there was a library in the near vicinity......but there isnt. Harry Potter Series was ofcourse the only exception....& DaVinci Code by Dan Brown(out of sheer curiosity).

I now tag.............

Anjuli

G-Man

Ish

Lan

Myspace

Shalom

Sunshine from India

Sunshine from Singapore